Cutting tool



March 14, 1961 H. W. BOZEMAN, JR

CUTTING TOOL Filed March 23, 1960 CUTTING TOOL Hoyt W. Bozeman, Jr.,Maplewood, Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis,Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 17,144 '4Claims. c1. 30-272 This invention relates to tools for cuttingcompression connectors of the type described in United States Patent No.2,707,775.

Present-day compression connectors manufactured in accordance with thatpatent are usually extruded and are, therefore, made of a highlymalleable material which is ditficult to break. In the past, when it wasdesired to cut compression connectors off the line, a block was heldagainst one of the flat sides of the connector parallel with the wires,and a wedge was then driven from the other flat side into the webseparating the wires. Earlier models of compression connectors, whensubjected to this kind of treatment, would break fairly easily in theweb so that they could be removed. With the extrusion type of connector,however, the wedge had to be driven substantially through the entire webbefore the web would come apart. In view of the malleability of theconnector, this operation was often accompanied by slippage ordeformation which caused the wedge to deviate into the wire itself andcut it.

To overcome the disadvantages inherent in the old style cutting process,the present invention discloses a cutting tool which is guided by themain line wire itself and severs the connector in two places and in sucha manner that the cut will always be closely adjacent to the wire butnever into the wire itself.

These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the attached drawingsin which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cutter as it would appear justprior to performing a cutting operation;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tool at the beginning of thecutting operation;

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the tool at the beginning of thecutting operation;

Figure 4 is a detail transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 2 showinga portion of the tool and a portion of the connector after the cut hasbeen accomplished; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the standard hydraulically operatedcompression tool used for compression connectors and to which thecutters of this invention are applied.

Basically, the tool of this invention comprises a cutting die arrangedto fit the die holder of a standard compression tool. The cutting dieconsists generally of a body portion on which are formed a pair ofparallel wedgeshaped cutting blades with a vertical inner surface and aslanted outer surface. The vertical inner surfaces of the cutters arespaced apart by substantially the diameter of the main line wire fromwhich the compression connector is to be cut. Movable guides areprovided at each end of the cutting blades. These guides fit snugly overthe main line wire and serve to keep the cutting blades lined up andcentered with respect to the main line wire at all times.

Referring now to Figure l, the compression tool, generally shown at 10,is preferably a standard construction used for compression fittings. Theparticular construcatent '0 tion and operation of the tool are shownhere only for purposes of illustration. The particular tool, shown inFigure 5, has a pairv of operating handles 14, one of which isoscillated to operate a pump in' the body portion of the tool 20, whichin turn moves the movable jaw 18 toward an upper jaw 16 supported on theC-shaped head 12. The standard hydraulic tool of this generaldescription is adapted to support a movable die 20, which is raised andlowered by the movable jaw 18 by manipulation of the handles 14. Themovable die 20 has an upper concave surface shaped like a trough andconforming to the curvature of the lower surface 18 of the compressionconnector 30. The lower die 20 is connected to the movable jaw 18 by asuitable set screw, or the like, such as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Theupper jaw 16 carries a fixed die holder, shown in dotted lines in Figure3 and indicated as 32, which is received in a recess 34 (Figure 2) ofthe cutting die 36. In order to secure the cutting die to the die holder32, there is provided a set screw 38. On the upper die 36 are cuttingblades 40 formed on the lower side of a block like knife body 42. Eachblade has a vertical inner surface 44 and a slanting or beveled outersurface 46. On the block 42 at each side thereof are wings or extensionscarrying guide flaps 48 on pivot pins 50. Each of the guide flaps aresecured together to swing in unison as pairs by tie pins 52. Each pairof wings, therefore, can be swung out into a position parallel with thebody or block 42 of the cutting die 36, so as to facilitate placement ofthe cutting die on the line. Each pair of guide flaps will swing downduring the cutting operation either by gravity or otherwise, so thateach pair of guide flaps 48 straddles the main line wire 54 as they actto guide the cutting blades 40 during their travel into the connectormaterial and to keep them aligned and centered with respect to the wire54. As the cutting die 36 eats its way into the connector material whenthe connector is pressed against the cutting blades 40 by pressure fromthe movable die 24, the cutting die will eventually reach a position,such as that shown in Figure 4. As the movable die 24 is now retractedaway from cutting die 36, the compression connector will fall off themain wire because there is nothing left to hold the crown 56 and the web57 together. The crown portions 56 of the connector 30 will then eitherfall away from the wire 54 of their own accord, or else they can beeasily knocked olf with pliers or a screwdriver. It will be noted thatdue to the guiding action of flaps 48, the cutter blades 40 will alwaysremain centered with respect to wire 54 so that they cannot injure it.

Although one specific embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed, it will be understood that the invention can be carried outin many different ways and it is not desired that it be limited to thespecific embodiment shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A cutting die for removing compression connectors from a wire,comprising a body adapted to be attached to a compression tool, a pairof cutting blades mounted to project from said body, the surfaces ofsaid blades facing each other being parallel and separated by a distancesubstantially equal to the diameter of said wire, and guide meansmounted adjacent the ends of said cutting blades and extending fartheraway from said body in the direction of cutting than said cutting bladesfor aligning said wire with said cutting blades.

2. A cutting die for removing compression connectors from a wire,comprising a body adapted to be attached to a compression tool, a pairof cutting blades mounted to project from said body, the surfaces ofsaid blades facing each other being parallel and separated by a distancesubstantially equal to the diameter of said wire, and guide meanspivotally mounted adjacent the ends of said cutting blades and movablefrom a retracted positionin line with said blades to an attendedposition in fline with said blades in which said guidegmeans extend,ffarther away from said body than said cutting'biades for aligningsaidwire with said cutting blades;

and ,guide means cooperating with said cutting die :m'ounted adjacentthe ends of said cutting blades and extending farther away from saidbody in the direction 'of cutting than .said cutting blades "foraligning said wire with said cutting blades.

i t. A cutting die for removing compression connectors froma wire,comprising a body adapted to be attached to a compression tool, a pairof cutting blades mounted to project from said body; the surfaces ofsaid blades facing each other being parallel and separated by a distancesubstantially equal to the diameter of said wire, and guide meanscooperating with said cutting die pivotally mounted adjacent the ends ofsaid cutting blades and movable from a retracted position in line withsaid blades to an extended position in line with 'said blades in whichsaid vguide means extend farther :away from said body than said cuttingblades iorraligningzsaidwire with said cutting blades, 7 V. t

References Cited in=the fileoflthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,414Fisher Sept. 2, 1890

